Towards Better Evaluation: Introducing the Newly Adopted Evaluation Criteria

New York, 20 February 2020 – Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP convened with collaboration of UNICEF the event: “Towards Better Evaluation: Introducing the Newly Adopted Evaluation Criteria”, presented by Per Øyvind Bastøe, Evaluation Director, NORAD and MFA Norway; and Megan Kennedy-Chouane, Head of Evaluation at OECD Development Co-operation Directorate and Secretariat.

The event was attended by UNEG members and UN Member States representatives. Indran Naidoo, Director of Independent Evaluation Office, opened the event highlighting the newly adopted DAC Evaluation Criteria, as well as the role of UNDP IEO in facilitating the process of review and consultation - preceding the formal adoption of the criteria in December 2019 - through 2017 UNDP National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) Conference in Istanbul and at the October 2019 Conference in Hurghada, Egypt.

George Laryea-Adjei, Director of Evaluation at UNICEF, gave opening remarks and a subsequent speech focused on the key principles for the use of the criteria, and in supporting critical thinking. The event enabled insightful comments, questions and interaction between the presenters, Member States representatives and UNEG members. It was followed by a technical workshop on the use and applicability of the updated evaluation criteria with fellow UNEG evaluation practitioners and UNDP IEO Evaluators.